Bus Time Leads To Writing Time

I spent seven hours and 40 minutes on buses going to Framingham, MA, from New York City on Friday afternoon and evening. I wish someone could build a bridge over Connecticut. On the other hand, I had time to draft five reviews. Here we go!

Hamlet 2 (seen Aug. 23; the 11th movie of August)

Hamlet 2 represents the latest overpriced Sundance pickup (think Happy, Texas, The Spitfire Grill … yeah, I don’t remember them either) whose so-called charms evaporate once out of the thin Park City, Utah, air. Director Andrew Fleming and writer Pam Brady apparently used all their wit a decade ago (Dick and the South Park movie, respectively) as Hamlet 2 awkwardly spoofs inspirational teacher dramas and “let’s put on a show” spirit. Fleming and Brady build their comedy around an imitation Martin Short (Steve Coogan), a clueless high school drama coach with a failing program, a shrewish wife (Catherine Keener, once again brittle), an unpronounceable last name (an increasingly forced gag) and crush on Elisabeth Shue. The latter plays herself as a disgruntled actress turned satisfied fertility nurse in Tucson, Ariz., in a bit that’s an amusing trifle at first before becoming strained. The musical numbers are clever in their awfulness, but otherwise, Hamlet 2 should have stayed as dead as its titular character.